Railway-switch.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. BIDINGER, OF OTTUMTVA, IOlVA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN H. RHEEM, OF OTTUAIVA, IOlVA.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

No. 798,991. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

Application filedApril 8, 1905 Berni No. 254,582.

To 11/7 11 71 111 i m w/ OOH/68PM: the rails of the main track, and A the cross- Be it known that l, W'ILLIAM H. BIDINGER, ties thereof. 55 of Ottumwa, 1n the county of \Vapello and B B designate the rails of the branch track,

State of Iowa, have invented certain new and which in mining use lead to a room in the 5 useful Improvements in RailwaySwitches; mine located at one side of the main track,

and l do hereby declare that the following is and B the ties thereof. a full,clear, and exact description thereof, ref- My improved switch for connecting the 60 erence being had to the accompanying d rawbranch track with the main track consists of ings, and to the letters of reference marked two curved rails C G, which are connected to re thereon, which form a part of this speciticatheir supports at points at the side of the main tion. track in a manner to be entirely removed This invention relates to improvements in from the main-track rails when not in use and 5 switch equipments for railway-tracks for dito be swung into their switching positions in verting a car or cars from a main track to a a manner to guide a car from the main to the branch track, and vice versa, and refers more branch track, or vice versa, without cutting specifically to switches adapted for usein mines or mutilating the rails of the main track. As for switching coal or ore cars from the main herein shown, the outer ends of said switch- 7 track or tramway to branch tracks leading to rails are hinged to their supports in a manner the different rooms of the mine at the side of to be swung laterally on their hinges t0 the the main track. positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Among the objects of my invention is to The outer curved rail C extends over the simplify and reduce the cost of such switch inner rail of the main track and diagonally 75 equipments and to reduce the cost of time and across the track and lies at its free end upon labon required for removing or changing a the outer rail of the main track, and the switch from one point to another. shorter curved rail similarly lies at its free A further object of the invention is to proend upon the inner rail of the main track. vide a switch equipment of this character The free ends of said curved switch-rails, 0 which is capable of being removed entirely which so lie upon the rails of the main track, from the main track and which may be apare beveled or inclined on their upper faces,

0 plied to the main track without the use of as shown at c 0, so as to facilitate the passage switch-frogs or the like or otherwise mutilatof car-wheels from the main track to the said ing the rails of the main track. switch. The switch-rails are made of rec- 5 A still further object of the invention is to tangular cross-section and of greater height minimize or entirely avoid the tendency of than the depth of the flanges of the wheels of loaded cars being derailed as they pass from the car used thereon. The free end of the the branch track to the main track over the shorter curved switch is so inclined as to switch. raise the flange of the car-wheels above the 90 The invention consists in the matters hereinner rail of the main track at the point inafter set forth,and more particularly pointwhere the said inner curved rail crosses said ed out in the appended claims. inner main-track rail, whereby the car-wheels in the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of cross the inner rail of the main track witha section of the main track, showing a branch out contact of the wheel-flanges therewith. 95 track and my improved switch equipmentfor The longer curved switch-rail is of its full connecting the same. Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional dimensions at the point where section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is it crosses the inner rail of the main track,

a transverse section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. thereby similarly preventing contact of the Fig.4isafragmentaryinsideviewoftheinside wheel-flanges with the said main-traclirail 1 or short rail of the switch and the associated when the cars cross the same. main-track rail, showing the taper thereof by The hinged s\\"itch-rails are supported at 5 which the car-wheel flange is raised above the their outer ends upon extension-ties- D D, maintrack rail. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail which, as herein shown, extend beneath the section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. l. rails of the main track, as shown at (Z, and 5 As shown in the drawings, A A designate extend laterally from said track toward the jacent ends of said rail-sections and the switchrails are provided with overlapping extensions e 0 respectively, Fig. 5, and they are hinged together by means of studs F, driven into the extension-ties, which extend upwardly through apertures in the extensions 0 and engage at their upper ends downwardlyopening sockets formed in the lower faces of the extensions 6. The said overlapping extensions of the connecting-rails and switchr'ail's are beveled on their opposing faces, so as to permit the outer ends of the switchrails to be raised from the main-track rails preparatory to swinging them outwardly from said main track in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The rails B B of the branch switch-track may be joined to the connecting-rails at any suitable angle, either laterally or vertically, depending upon the location ofthe room to which the branch track leads.

Means are provided for locking the switchrails from lateral displacement after the same have been adjusted to the main track. As herein shown, such locking means consists of downwardly-extending lugs 0 0* near the free ends of said rails, which enter sockets 9, formed between the maintrack rails, and blocks G G, fastened to the ties at the sides of the main-track rails in any suitable manner. The longer curved switch-rail is supported between the rails of the main track by means of an oblique sleeper or block H, that lies upon the cross-ties A and is fixed thereto in any suitable manner. As an additional precaution against lateral movement of said outer rail it is preferably provided with a second locking-lug c", and the sleeper is provided with a notch 7;, which receives the locking lug. The swivel construction of the hinge due to. the inclined faces of the overlapping extensions of the switchrails and connecting-rails permits the switch-rails to be raised to release the locking-lugs from the locking devices preparatory to swinging the switch-rails off the main track. Preferably the shorter or inside curved rail is supported between its ends upon a block 1, located at the side of the inner rail of'the main track.

The insertion of the extension-ties D beneath the main-track rails constitute a means of firmly anchoring said ties to the main track, and so far as the broader features of the invention are concerned said extension ties may be fixed firmly in place relatively to the main track in any other convenient manner.

It will be observed that the rails of the main track are not and need not be cut or otherwise mutilated, so that when the switchrails are swung to one side of the track the main track is free and unobstructed and the travel of the cars thereover is facilitated. Furthermore, the absence of any frogs or special fittings for diverting the cars from the main track to the branch, and vice versa, avoids the tendency of derailment of the cars when passing from one track to the other. Another important advantage of my improved construction lies in the ease in which the switch may be applied to the main track and removed therefrom at a time when the branch track is to be removed from one room to another or from one point on the main tails of the switch without departing from the.

spirit of my invention, and I do not wish to be limited-thereto, except as hereinafter made the subject of specific claims.

I claim as my invention 1. A railway-switch comprising, in combination with the main track and a branch track, two curved switch-rails which are hinged at their outer ends at one side of the main track to swing toward and from the main=track rails, and designed to be swung entirely away from the main track when not in use. 7

2. A railway-switch comprising, in combi nation with the main track and a branch track, two curved switch rails which are hinged at their outer ends at one side of the main track to swing toward and from the main-track rails, and designed to be swung entirely away from the main track when not in use, and means for locking the switch-rails in switching relation to the main-track rails.

3. A railway-switch comprising, in combination with the main track and a branch track, two curved switch-rails hinged at their outer ends at one side of the main track to swing toward and from the main track, and designed to lie at their other endstupon the main-track rails, the ends of said curved rails, which lie upon the main-track rails, being inclined on their upper faces to facilitate the riding of car-wheels thereon. Y

4:. A railway=switch comprising, in combitwo curved switch-rails hinged at their outer ends at one side of the main track to swing toward and from the main track, and designed to lie at their other ends upon the main-track rails, the ends of said curved rails, which lie upon the main-track rails, being inclined on their upper faces to facilitate the riding of car wheels thereon, and means for locking the switch-rails from lateral displacement on said main-track rails.

5. A railway-switch comprising, in combination with the main track and a branch track, two curved switch-rails hinged at their outer ends at one side of the main track to swing toward and .from the main track, and designed to lie at their other ends upon the main-track rails, the ends of said curved rails, which lie upon the main-track rails, being inclined on their upper faces to facilitate the riding of car-wheels thereon, the rise or inclination of the inner or shorter switch-rail being such as to clear the flange of the car-wheel of the main-track rail at the crossing of the short switch-rail over the main-track rail.

6. A railway-switch comprising, in combination with the main track and a branch track, two curved switch-rails hinged at their outer ends at one side of the main track to swing toward and from the main track and lying at their other ends upon the rails of the main track, the longer rail extending transversely over the inner rail of the main track, and the 'freeends of said curved rails being inclined on their upper faces to facilitate the riding of car-wheels thereon.

7 A railway-switch comprising, in combination with the main track and a branch track, two curved switch-rails hinged at their outer ends at one side of the main track to swing toward and from the main track, and designed to lie at their other ends upon the main-track rails, the ends of said curved rails, which lie upon the main-track rails, being inclined on their upper faces to facilitate the riding of car-wheels thereon, and locking-lugs at the free ends of said switch-rails adapted to enter sockets at the sides of the main-track rails to lock the switch-rails from lateral displacement.

8. A railway-switch comprising, in combination with the main track and a branch track, two curved switch-rails hinged at their outer ends at one side of the main track to swing toward and from the main track, and designed l to lie at their other ends upon the main-track rails, the ends of said curved rails, which lie upon the main-track rails, being inclined on their upper faces to facilitate the riding of car-wheels thereon, locking-lugs at the free ends of said switch-rails adapted to enter sockets at the sides of the main-track rails to lock the switch-rails from lateral displacement, the hinge for said switch-rails being constructed to permit vertical movement of the free ends of the switch-rails to release the locking-lugs from said sockets.

9. A railway-switch comprising, in combination with the main track and a branch track, two curved switch-rails for connection with the main and branch tracks, ties extending laterally from the main track and on which are supported rail sections to which said curved switch-rails are hinged, the free ends of said switch-rails lying on top of the main track rails and being inclined to facilitate the riding of the car-wheels thereon, the hinge between said rail-sections and switch-rails comprising overlapping extensions on said parts and studs fixed to the extension-ties and engaging hinge apertures and sockets in said overlapping extensions.

10. A railway-switch comprising, in combination with the main track and a branch track,

two curved switch-rails for connection with the main and branch tracks, ties extending laterally from the main track and on which are supported rail sections to which said curved switch-rails are hinged, the free ends of said switch-rails lying on top of the maintrack rails and being inclined to facilitate the riding of the car-wheels thereon, the hinge between said rail-sections and switch-rails comprising overlapping extensions on said parts and studs lixed to the extension-ties and engaging hinge apertures and sockets in said overlapping extensions, the adjacent faces of said overlapping extensions being beveled or cut away to permit the free ends of the railsections to be raised preparatory to swinging the same laterally.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 11 aiiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 29th day of March, A. D.

, \VILLIAM H. BIDINGER. W'itnesses:

A. S. .KILBY,

Cums. KAIsnR, Jr. 

